6 Ways Flexible Schedules Help Professionals Stay Productive

In theory, a job that has flexible scheduling sounds great, but what does that actually mean to workers who have them? We asked FlexJobs readers to tell us when they are most productive and almost 40 people weighed in—telling us not only their most productive times of day, but how and why flexible scheduling actually helps them with productivity.

Sure, flexible schedules help people better balance work and life. And yes, they also help people work when they’re most productive during the day.

But they also help people who are experiencing some major life changes and challenges to stay productive and active in the workforce, when having a rigid schedule might eliminate that option entirely.

Which of these reasons resonate with you? Leave a comment below and share your flexible schedule story!

1. Health Issues

“Sleep is not something I get a lot of—I have insomnia and have had it many years. I am most productive after midnight. I have so much energy when my house is completely quiet. I think of many productive tasks that I complete. My mind is on go and I usually run out of tasks before I slow down. Productivity, creativity, and I compliment each other very well.” – Jacqueline

2. Changes with Age

“Interestingly, my most productive time of the day used to be really early – like 6:00 or 7:00 a.m. Now it’s still in the morning, but has moved to 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. until about 2:00 or 3:00 p.m. I save the less intellectually taxing tasks for the afternoon.” – Mia

“My answer to this question in the past would have been the morning, the earlier the better! Now, it seems between 1:00 p.m. and midnight, I am so much more energetic and focused. I notice I can get so much more accomplished, compared to my attempts in the morning hours.” – Corie

3. Avoiding Office Distractions

“Tuesdays and Wednesdays are good for tackling large projects. I work in a medical school and most of the faculty are out of the office seeing patients or teaching. This provides me with less distraction and I can focus on the task at hand.” – Cherie

“Being self-employed has allowed me to get done what I need to do without feeling chained to a desk. The point is the quality of what you deliver and when–not how much time your butt was in the seat. I love it when I am measured on deliverables and not hours–it makes it so much easier to make work match with my energy levels and still get to have a life!” – Elyse

4. Different Biological Clocks

“I’m the most productive and creative in the morning, after a little caffeine in my coffee or even before that, I tend to tackle the most projects and get the most done early in the morning, up until I have lunch, then I tend to have an energy slump. I’m the least focused later in the day.” – Karen

“I really appreciate someone bringing this issue to light because it has been something I’ve struggled with in typical work environments for many years. I learned long ago that my PEAK energy time starts around 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. and my productivity skyrockets from 8:00 p.m. until at least midnight or later. I’ve tried many, many, many times to change this about myself in order to confirm to ‘normal’ office hours, but ultimately find myself burnt out with an extreme lack of sleep because I’m forced to be up and at it early, but then unable to put work down and stop productivity just when I’m at my best.” – Fran

5. Different Times for Different Tasks

“My most creative time is in the evening–between 8:00 and 11:00 p.m. The house is quieter since the kids and my hubby are winding down for the day. I’m not being pulled in six different directions, so my time is open for creative writing and thinking of new ideas for outreach initiatives.” – Christine

6. Fitting in Exercise for More Energy

“I feel most productive in the morning. I work hard at a pretty fast pace. I hit a slump around 3:00 p.m. I usually exercise and have a cup of coffee about that time of day and I perk back up. For some reason I get one more burst of energy around 9:00 p.m. so I try to get some flex work in before bedtime.” – Deb